The aloe medicine plant is often used to relieve skin irritations. It is a succulent with fleshy, gray-green leaves that can grow up to a foot long. The leaves are lightly toothed along the margins and covered with irregular pale splotches. Young plants often have a fan-shaped growth pattern; mature plants take on a rosette form.

The aloe medicine plant can be used to relieve burns and other skin irritations.
The gray-green leaves of the aloe medicine plant can grow
 up to a foot long. See more pictures of house plants.

The popularity of the aloe medicine plant comes from the sap that can be extracted from its leaves and used to relieve burns, chapping, and other skin irritations.

Aloe Medicine Plant Quick Facts:

Scientific Name: Aloe barbadense (Aloe vera)
Common Names: Medicine Plant, Burn Plant, True Aloe
Light Requirement for Aloe Medicine Plant: Bright Light to Filtered Light
Water Requirement for Aloe Medicine Plant: Drench, Let Dry
Humidity for Aloe Medicine Plant: Average Home
Temperature for Aloe Medicine Plant: House
Fertilizer for Aloe Medicine Plant: Balanced
Potting Mix for Aloe Medicine Plant: Cactus
Propagation of Aloe Medicine Plant: Division
Decorative Use for Aloe Medicine Plant: Floor, Table
Care Rating for Aloe Medicine Plant: Very Easy

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Larry Hodgson is a full time garden writer working out of Quebec City in the heart of French Canada where he grows well over 3,000 species and varieties. His book credits include Making the Most of Shade, The Garden Lovers Guide to Canada, Perennials for Every Purpose, Annuals for Every Purpose, Houseplants for Dummies, and Ortho’s Complete Guide to Houseplants, as well as other titles in English and French. He’s the winner of the Perennial Plant Association’s 2006 Garden Media Award.